Red Pandanus -Marita health benefits and simple Recipe (2024)

(Pandanus conoideus) or Marita as it's called in Papua New Guinea, is a red fruit filled with many health benefits. It is delicious and is enjoyed by many families in rural villages. For some, Marita is very special and valuable in occasions like Bride Price and family gatherings. For some it is just a daily diet. When family gather to contribute for a bride price payment, Marita is among the foods contributed, in large quantity. When visitors come to your house, Marita is given as a show of appreciation and friendship. It can be cooked and shared together or as a take home gift. Different provinces have various ways of preparing Marita. Basically it is splitted into half and the inside white flesh is removed and the seeds are boiled in a pot wrapped in breadfruit leaves or bush fern. They can be eaten with sweet potatoes. Some people believe that the taste and flavor depends on the quality of the soil in which it is planted.

Below are some of the health benefits of Marita and the functions of vitamins and minerals found to help keep our bodies healthy.

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Nutritional value of Marita:

Marita or red fruit contains a lot of Vitamins and Minerals such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, thiamin and Folate. Marita also contains Omega 3, Omega 6 fatty acids, Dietary fiber, sodium and potassium. Apart from this, Marita also contains minerals like Calcium, Magnesium, iron, zinc copper and manganese.

Vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals are important nutrients our body needs to develop and function properly. Some known vitamins are Vitamin A,C,D,E and K. Some important minerals found in Marita are sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Benefits of Vitamin C:

Vitamin C has a positive effect on skin and immune system. It is a powerful antioxidants that help protect your immune system against free radicals. It is believed that if you consume Marita daily, your hair and skin will glow.

Benefits of Vitamin A:

Vitamin A is important for eye sight. It helps protect your eye from night blindness, assist with reproduction and overall protection of your immune system. It also helps your organs like heart, liver and Kidney function properly.

Benefits of Vitamin D:

Vitamin D promotes healthy bones and teeth, It support the nervous system, supports lung function and regulate insulin levels.

Benefits of Vitamin E:

Vitamin E are vital for immune system also and a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin E protects your cells from damage and may slow the aging process.

Benefits of Vitamin K:

Vitamin K makes protein for healthy bones and normal blood clotting. Excessive bleeding is a sign of vitamin K deficiency.

Functions of Sodium and Potassium:

Sodium and potassium help body function normally. They are essential in maintain the balance of water in and around your cells. If there are too much sodium in your body, it can cause high blood pressure. Consumption of sodium and potassium should be balanced. Potassium is found in vegetables leafy greens, bananas and dairy products.

Steps to preparing a Marita Dish:

1. Cut the Marita into half and split into pieces.

2. Remove the white meat inside.

3. Dry the fruit directly under the sun for an hour or two.

4. Prepare a deep pot by placing few breadfruit and bush fern at the base of the pot.

5. Place the Marita inside the pot and cover with fern and breadfruit leaves.

6. Pour water into the pot depending on the size of the pot and the amount of Marita it contains.

7. Place some more leafy greens on the top as cover and place the lid over it. Boil on an open fire for an hour.

8. When cooked, drain the water and separate the leafy greens from the fruit.

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9. Leave in pot to cool off for about 20mins.

10. Prepare your sweet potatoes and boil in a separate pot.

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11. Cut some nice clean big banana leaves and heat them over the fire.

12. Place a set of bilums to make a shallow hole. You can use a deep bowl big enough for mixing purposes.

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13. Place the heated banana leaves over the shallow hole and bend to shape as a dish.

14. Place the Marita one at a time into the fold and separate the seeds from the meat.

15. Mix the seeds with both hands to extract the oil and the sauce.

16. Continue mixing and squeezing for

5 to 10 minutes and as you do add a half cup water bit by bit into the mix.

17. Mixing and squeezing should continue until you see the oil all over the seeds and the

red sauce at the bottom of the leaves.

18. Place the squeezed waste seed on a separate dish.

19. Add some Maggie cubes to taste and mix again.

20. When done, fold the banana leaves over and tie with a rope to cover.

21. By then your sweet potatoes are cooked and served on a dish.

22. Prepare your parsley, ginger and Maggi cubes in a dish.

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23. When everything is ready, gather as a family and enjoy the delicious Marita dish.

Hope you enjoyed reading my post. I'd like to hear from you. You can hit the like button, and comment below or send in your suggestions, corrections or recipes that I can try out too. Drop by on email:myrosesdiary@gmail.com

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Myrosesdiary.

Related:

https://myrosesdiary.blogspot.com/2020/11/4-health-benefits-of-eating-cucumber.html

https://myrosesdiary.blogspot.com/2020/09/green-bananas-and-health-benefits.html

https://myrosesdiary.blogspot.com/2022/01/bamboo-shoots-and-red-pandanus-marita.html?m=1

Red Pandanus -Marita  health benefits and simple Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to prepare Pandanus? ›

Preparation
  1. Wash fruit before use.
  2. Soft fingers are eaten raw, while tougher varieties are boiled or baked.
  3. The juicy pulp can be extracted and cooked orpreserved as a paste.
  4. Pandanus paste can be dried in the sun aftercooking and mixes well with coconut cream.

How do you use pandan leaves as a medicine? ›

They also contain antipyretic and antiviral properties, to cure fevers, seasonal allergies and boost immunity. Add pandan leaf powder or paste to routine meals and consume daily, for treating fevers, cough and cold.

How do you use Pandanus leaves? ›

In Southeast Asia, pandan leaves are used to lend a unique taste and aroma to flavor desserts and drinks as well as savory dishes. Pandan leaves, which are sold fresh, frozen, and dried, can also be used to wrap savory foods, such as chicken or sticky rice.

What types of products can be made from Pandanus? ›

Much use is made of the leaves for thatching, mats, hats, ropes, twine, sails for small boats, baskets, and fibre products, especially of those from the thatch screw pine, or pandanus palm (Pandanus tectorius), which is native to Micronesia and Hawaii, and the common screw pine (P. utilis).

Can you eat Pandanus leaves? ›

Pandan leaf is too fibrous and stringy to be consumed directly. The leaves are instead usually ground into a powder or paste, or infused into water to make a paste or extract. Since pandan has such a strong flavor, one or two handheld bunches of pandan leaves will usually be more than enough.

What does Pandanus taste like? ›

What Does Pandan Taste Like? Milky with whifs of vanilla and hazelnut, pandan has a delightfully toasty flavor. The compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) is responsible for its nutty aroma and has been identified in other fragrant crops like rice, soybean, coconut and taro.

Can you eat pandan raw? ›

Pandan fruit and leaves are incredibly versatile and can be used in many ways. You can wrap meats in these leaves before steaming or grilling. Leaves can be juiced or boiled. The fruit can be turned into marmalade or eaten raw.

What is the medicinal use of Pandanus tree? ›

For headache, arthritis, and stomach spasms a decoction of leaves is used. A poultice of fresh leaves mixed with oil is also used for headaches, and pulverized dried leaves was used to facilitate wound healing. A decoction of roots is believed to have aphrodisiac and cardiotonic properties.

Is pandan a laxative? ›

Although pandan may have a mild laxative effect that could cause diarrhea if it's consumed in large quantities, more research is needed on the exact amounts ( 2 ). Keep in mind that pandan fruit paste may be high in sugar.

What to do with fresh pandan leaves? ›

Also called screw-pine, the juice is extracted from the leaves by processing it with liquid; the leaves are also used whole to infuse steamed or simmered dishes, or as a wrapping. In Thailand, for example, pandan is used to make the classic dish gai ob bai toey, where chicken pieces are deep-fried in a pandan wrapping.

How do you cut pandan leaves for cooking? ›

Cut the Pandan: Wash the pandan leaves. Cut them into small segments, about an inch or so in length, with kitchen scissors. Blend with Water: Combine the cut leaves with water in a 1:1 ratio and blend until the leaves are broken down.

How do you harvest pandanus? ›

Older Leaves should be harvested from the bottom of the plant, as per cut-and-come-again harvesting, with new leaves left intact to ensure more growth. Whole heads of pandan can also be harvested, but the offshoots that develop will take a while to grow large enough to replace the harvested portion.

What is the difference between pandan and Pandanus? ›

Pandanus amaryllifolius is a tropical plant in the Pandanus (screwpine) genus, which is commonly known as pandan (/ˈpændən/; Malay: [ˈpandan]). It has fragrant leaves which are used widely for flavouring in the cuisines of Southeast Asia.

Is pandan good for hair? ›

PREVENTING HAIR LOSS.

Another health benefit of pandan leaves for our hair is helping to prevent hair loss. Hair loss can be caused by various factors such as psychological pressure, drug side effects, and even malnutrition.

What pairs well with pandan? ›

Pandan's strongest flavor affinities are coconut, mango, and sticky rice, but it's delicious with star anise, ginger, and coriander as well. More traditional recipes abound online, some written in better English than others.

How do you prepare Pandanus for weaving? ›

Weavers gather fresh young leaves from the pandanus palm using a hooked stick, then strip and dry them. The pandanus is then boiled up on the campfire with local plant dyes. Today's coiled fibre works are the result of rich cultural exchange and artistic innovation.

How do you cut Pandanus? ›

Cut top off tall plant to propagate new ones

You can cut its crown and use that portion for propagation. Next, cut the plant along the stem, with some aerial roots, then pot it in moist growing mix. You can also cut longer leaves in half to reduce the rate of transpiration.

How to harvest Pandanus? ›

Older Leaves should be harvested from the bottom of the plant, as per cut-and-come-again harvesting, with new leaves left intact to ensure more growth. Whole heads of pandan can also be harvested, but the offshoots that develop will take a while to grow large enough to replace the harvested portion.

What does pandanus tree fruit taste like? ›

One taster likened the flavor of fresh hala juice to “a mixture of sugarcane and mango,” with the consistency of thick nectar. The hala fruit grows from the Pandanus tectorius, a towering tree related to Southeast Asia's fragrant pandan leaf. Traditional Hawaiian cultures use the hala tree for medicine, dye, and food.

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